ISTANBUL

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday joined patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem in calling for peace in Gaza, Vatican News reported.

"Today I renew a strong appeal both to the parties involved and to the international community, that an end be put to the conflict in the Holy Land, which has caused so much terror, destruction, and death," Pope said.

He also called for the safe entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the protection of civilians.

"I appeal for all hostages to be freed, a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated, and humanitarian law to be fully respected—especially the obligation to protect civilians and the prohibitions against collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,” the pontiff added.

Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem on Tuesday strongly condemned a settler assault on the Christian town of Taybeh in the central West Bank, calling it part of a disturbing pattern of violence aimed at intimidating Palestinian communities.

In a joint statement, they criticized Israeli police for reducing the incident to mere property damage, saying such omissions “distort the truth and fail to address violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including the right to religious freedom and the protection of cultural heritage.”

The church leaders also denounced “reactionary disinformation campaigns” by settler-affiliated groups, warning that such narratives seek to discredit victims and deflect international scrutiny.

They urged the Israeli government to hold perpetrators accountable, ensure consistent protection for the people of Taybeh, and uphold its obligations under international law.

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. Israel’s full blockade of the Palestinian enclave, in place since early March, has created catastrophic conditions for the enclave’s 2.4 million residents, leading to famine, widespread disease, and the collapse of essential services.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.